Package and bird feeder



June 23, 1959 R, EARLY 2,891,711

v PACKAGE AND BIRD FEEDER Filed Nov. 30, 1955 if i J6' 1 .if I I .5:9

ya 4! g l l /faasfr L. EAI/ug /h Ml@ ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent() PACKAGE AND BIRD FEEDER Robert L. Early, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to The Early & Daniel Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application November 30, 1955, Serial No. 550,021

2 Claims. (Cl. 229-17) My invention relates to packages or containers in which feed or grain may be sold in retail stores and the containers readily converted by the purchaser into a feeder. The feeder will nd particular utility as a bird feeder which may be conveniently hung from a tree, porch, trellis 4or the like.

In my copending application Serial No. 526,017, liled August 2, 1955, and entitled Combined Container and Feeder, I have taught the provision of a paperboard container for feed or grain which may be readily converted into a self-filling feeder by means of a pair of metallic or plastic trough forming attachments adapted to be associated with the walls of the container, the walls being suitably cut-scored to receive the troughs. In the instant invention, on the other hand, the troughs are formed from paperboard and constitute integral parts of the container, Ithe arrangement of parts being such that the, troughs may be broken away from the container body Walls when it is desired to use the package as a feeder.

`It is a principal object ofmy invention to provide a paperboard' container for feed or grain which may be readily converted into ay self-lling feeder by means of trough members formed as integral parts of the paperboard container.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a one-piece paperboard container and feeder comprising a tubular body having top and bottom end closures and an-integrally formed inner sleeve adapted to coact with the trough forming parts of the container body, the sleeve being provided with scored extensions adapted to provide'an inclined false bottom for directing the feed toward the troughs. Y

Still a further object of 'my invention is the provision of a'container-feeder ofthe character described wherein the-feeding troughs `are formed in the body Walls of the container and readily adapted to be separated therefrom to the extent necessaryy to permit their use as feeding troughs. f

These as well as other objects of my invention which will appear hereinafter or which willV be apparent to the skilled worker'in the art upon reading these specifications, I accomplish by that construction and arrangement of parts of which I shall now describe an exemplary embodiment. Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a container blank in accordance `with 4my invention.

Figure 2 is a'partial plan view of the blank illustrating the initial folding step.

Figure 3 is a partial plan View similar to Figure 2 illustrating the next succeeding folding step of the blank.

Figures 4 and 5 are plan views of the blank during subsequent folding operations, the latter gure illustrating the blank in knocked-down tubular form.

Figure 6 is a partial perspective view with parts broken away of the lower portion of the -tubed container.

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of Figure 6.

ice

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional -view similar to Figure 7 but with the false bottom and closure ap in assembled condition.

Figure 9 is a perspective View of the completed container with the troughs in open position.

Figure 10 is a sectional view taken along the line 10-10 of Figure 9.

Referring now to Figure l of the drawings, I have therein illustrated a blank for forming a feeding container in accordance with my invention. The blank will be preferably formed from paperboard suitably cut and scored to provide partial body Wall 1, full width body walls 2, 3 and 4, and a partial body wall 5, all in articulation in the order named. Bottom closure flaps 6, 7 and 8 are connected to the bottom edges of the full width body Walls 2, 3 and 4, respectively, `and partial bottom closure flaps 9 and 10 are connected to the bottom edges of the partial body walls 1 and 5, in the manner illustrated.

At their upper ends body walls 2 and 4 are provided with diagonally scored gable-forming panels 11 and 12, the body wall 3 is provided with a roof-forming panel 13, and the partial body walls 1 and 5 are provided with partial roof-forming panels 14 and 15, respectively. Suitable top securing flanges 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 complete the top closure which, it Will be understood, may take a variety of forms and does not constitute a limitation upon the instant invention.

The feeding troughs are formed in the body walls of the container and comprise body parts 22 and 23 formed in the body walls 2 and `4, respectively. At their upper ends the body parts carry articulated flanges 24 and 25, the flanges and the adjacent upper edges of the body parts being defined by means of lines for severance 26 and 27 which may be conveniently formed by means of a nicked scoring rule. At their lower ends the body parts 22 and 23 are articulated to the body walls 2 and 4 along the `lines of articulation 28 and 29. At their ends the body parts carry extensions 30, 31 and 32, 33 projecting into the intermediate body wall 3 and partial body walls 1 and 5. The extensions 30, 31, 32 and 33 are separated from the body walls in which they are formed by lines of cut or, preferably,by a combination of lines of cut and lines for severance. The arrangement of parts is such thatjthe bodyrparts and the extensions may be freed from the body walls excepting along the lines of articulation 28 and 29.

The partial body wall 5 carries an integral extension 35 having a height somewhat in excess of the height of ythe troughs formed in the container body Walls, and the extension has articulated thereto a plurality of sleeveforming panels 36, 37, 38 and 39. The panels 36-39 are of a width substantially equal to the widths of the container body walls and, as will be apparent hereinafter, are arranged to be juxtaposed to the inner surfaces of the body walls. Panels 36 and 38 have openings 40'and'41 formed therein and medially scored bottom forming ex-.I tensions 42 and 43 are articulated to the lower edges of the panels 36 and 38, respectively. As will be explained more fullyV hereinafter, the medially scored extensions 42 and 43 define an inclined false bottomfor the container which will cause the feed to flow toward the openings 40 and 41.

The container blank just described may be conveniently fabricated into a knocked-down or tubular body by Iirst infolding extending panel 39 to overlieV adjacent panel 38, in the 'manner illustrated in Figure 2,followedV by the yinfolding of the outlying panels along the line of articulation between the panels 36 and 37, thereby bringing the parts to the position illustrated in Figure 3. If desired, adhesive may be applied to the extension 35 for adhesively securing it to the overlying portion of the panel 39, although l have found that the adhesive may be omitted if desired. Thereafter, the blank is folded along the line of articulation between body walls 4 and partial body wall 5, thereby bringing the parts to the condition illustrated in Figure 4, whereupon a stripe of adhesive 44 is applied to the marginal edge of partial body wall l and the opposite side of the blank infolded along the line of articulation between the body walls 2 and 3, thereby bringing the parts to the position illustrated in Figure 5 with the stripe of adhesive 41 in engagement with marginal edge portions of partial side wall panel 5. The blank is now in its knocked-down or tint-folded tubular form.

Upon erection of the tubular body, the parts will assume the condition illustrated in Figure 6 with the sleeve comprising the panels 36, 37, 38 and 39 lying to the inside of the body walls and juxtaposed, respectively, to the body walls 2, 3, 4, and partial body walls 1 and 5.

Upon the erection of the container body, the bottom forming extensions 42 and 43 will be infolded and positioned in the manner best seen in Figure 8, the length of the extensions being greater than the cross-sectional dimensions of the container, whereby the extensions will be inclined downwardly and outwardly from their medial score lines. This results in a false bottom which will cause feed placed in the container to flow toward the opposed walls 2 and 4 of the container through the open ings l0 and 41, and it is in the walls 2 and 4- that the body parts 22 and 23 of the troughs are formed. The bottom closure i'iaps 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 are thereafter infolded and adhesively secured to complete the bottom end of the container, as will be evident from Figures S and l0 of the drawings. The contents may then be introduced into the container through the open upper end thereof, whereupon the top forming members will be folded and secured together to form a gabled top for the container, as best seen in Figure 9, the flanges at the top being secured together by adhesive or by means of one or more staples, such as is illustrated at 45 in Figure 9.

ln the filled and closed condition the container or sales units of the containers may be conveniently shipped to the retailer for display and sale. ln the hands of the purchaser, the container may be quickly converted to a feeder simply by freeing the body parts 22 and 23 from the body walls along the lines for severance 26 and 27, together with the detachment of the extensions 30, 31, 32 and 33 from the adjacent side walls of the container. This may be conveniently done by running a sharp object along the lines for severance. As best seen in Figure 9, the extensions at the ends of the body part will be pressed inwardly so as to lie between the container body walls and the adjacent panels of the sleeve. Upon outward folding of the body parts along the lines of articulation 28 and 29, the pointed or notched ends of the extensions will slide between the body walls and the panels of the sleeve until they engage the corner edges of the container in the manner illustrated in Figures 9 and l0 to thereby x the troughs in the open position. lt is also preferred that the flanges 24 and 25 be bent outwardly to form ledges or perches on which the birds may stand as they feed. It will be apparent that the troughs, when opened, uncover the openings 40 and 41 in the sleeve and the feed ows through the openings from the interior of the container into the troughs. It will be noted that the panels 37 and 39 which lie to the inside of the body walls from which the trough extensions are struck, serve to prevent the feed from spilling through the openings formed by the removal of the extensions.

It will be understood that the paperboard or similar material from which the container is formed will be suitably proofed so as to withstand exposure to the elements. This may be done either by pretreating or proofing the board itself or by subjecting the formed containers to a proong such, for example, as a wax dip or spray.

Modifications may, of course, be made in my invention without departing from the spirit of it. Having, however, described my invention in an exemplary embodiment, what l desire to secure 'and protect by Letters Patent is:

1. ln a combined package and feeder, a one-piece tubular paperboard container having enclosing body Walls composed of five Wall panels in side-by-side articulation, the second, third and fourth wall panels being full width panels and the rst and fifth wall panels being of less than full width and arranged to overlap to provide a full width body wall having a centrally disposed longitudinal seam, an inner sleeve having wall panels juxtaposed to the inner surfaces of the wall panels making up said enclosing body walls, the Wall panels of said sleeve juxtaposed to the inner surfaces of said rst, third and fifth wall panels being free to flex inwardly relative to said wall panels, top and bottom closures formed from foldable parts hingedly connected to said enclosing body walls, trough forming body parts dened by lines for severance in the lower portions of said second and fourth wall panels, extensions hingedly connected to the ends of said body parts and defined by lines for severance in said first, third and fifth wall panels, said extensions terminating short of the longitudinal seam connecting said first and fifth wall panels, said trough forming body parts being hingedly connected along their lower edges to said second and fourth wall panels and movable from a closed position to an open position in which said body parts are .displaced outwardly from the planes of said second and fourth wall panels, said extensions being displaceable inwardly and slidable between the inner surfaces of the wall panels in which they are formed and the adjacent panels of said inner sleeve upon movement of said body parts from the closed to the open position, said extensions including upwardly extending projections which, when said trough forming body parts are displaced outwardly, will engage the corner edges of the container body walls immediately above the openings defined by said body parts to limit the outward movement thereof and dispensing openings in the panels of said inner sleeve juxtaposed to said seoond and fourth wall panels in the areas of said trough forming body parts, whereby said dispensing openings will be exposed upon movement of said body parts to the open position.

2. The combined package and feeder claimed in claim 1 wherein said inner sleeve is integrally connected to the free side edge of said fifth wall panel, and wherein a false bottom forming extension is articulated to at least one of the sleeve panels in which a. dispensing opening is formed, said extension being of a length greater than the cross-sectional dimensions of the container and medially scored, whereby said extension will be outwardly and downwardly inclined from its medial score line towards the dispensing openings in said sleeve.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,915,026 Meyer June 20, 1933 2,556,661 Rendall lune 12, 1951 2,556,707 Rendall et al June 12, 1951 2,557,290 Houldsworth June 19, 1951 2,585,056 Tierney Feb. 12, 1952 2,588,996 Snyder Mar. 11, 1952 2,684,792 Kraus July 27, 1954 2,698,124 Hines Dec. 28, 1954 

